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Time to Shift Gears: Despite Positive Trends, Off-Grid Solar Needs More Investment to Grow
It's true that 2018 was a fairly positive year for investments in off-grid solar. But according to GOGLA, the global association for the industry, this progress isn’t enough. With more than 150 off-grid solar companies and stakeholders as members, GOGLA closely monitors investment flows in the sector. Based on analysis of its deal database, it has realized that the industry will need a significant increase in funding to reach the target of universal energy by 2030. GOGLA analysts share five trends in off-grid solar funding they've observed in the recent data.
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A Kenyan-based Social Enterprise, Yusudi, Raises $250K in Grant Capital
The program seeks out learners with innovative ideas between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, offering the opportunity to join online training on career-start or entrepreneurship depending on their interests.
- Categories
- Education, Entrepreneurship
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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South African Insurtech Startup Nobuntu Raises Funding From Crossfin
South African fintech startup Nobuntu, which builds innovative insurance products for lower-income segments, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from fintech holding company Crossfin to help it scale.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Micro-Lending Startup Ftcash Raises $7.23 Mn Series A Funding
Founded in 2015 by Sanjeev Chandak, Deepak Kothari and Vaibhav Lodha, Ftcash provides short-term loans to merchants. The startup plans to use the funds to accelerate product development and drive its expansion efforts.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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Finding the Right Financial Partner: Lessons Learned from One Startup’s Success in the Funding World
Kinnos was founded during the Ebola outbreak of 2014, marketing an innovative chemical product that allows even untrained workers to apply disinfectant correctly. Its founders (then students at Columbia University) quickly received more than $750,000 in grants and prizes. But as their company grew, they had to learn to navigate the risky landscape of startup investment. According to Christina Tamer at VentureWell, the Kinnos team's success in this area—they have raised $1 million in venture funding from angel investors—offers a number of key lessons for other entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Health Care, Investing
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The Definition of Insanity: Why Repeating the Same Approach to Enterprise Support is Failing Africa’s SMEs
It’s often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So in a region where 84 percent of SMEs struggle to access capital, why do investors keep recycling the same failed approaches when financing African enterprises? Mercy Mangeni and Joshua Murima at Intellecap discuss what investors and entrepreneurs have done wrong – and explore some innovative ways their organization is working to make it right.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance, Investing
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Africa Roundup: Paga goes global and 4 startups raise $99M in VC
Paga looks to go head to head with regional and global payment players, such as PayPal, Alipay, and Safaricom according to Oviosu.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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